Hosiery top



T. E. ELRQD' HOSIERY TOP Nov. 25; -194 1.

Fil led Sept. 24, 1937 INVENTOR.

Patented Nov. 25, 1941 HOSIERY 'roP j Thomas Everett Elrod, Chattanooga, Tenn., as-

signal to United Hosiery Mills Corporation, Chattanooga, Tenn., a corporation of Tennessee Applicationsepternber 2'4, 1937, Serial No. 165,478

4 Claims.

This invention relates to hosiery and is concerned primarily with the top portion of hose.

At the present time there is a very noticeable trend in the hosiery field towards the provision of hosiery products including top portions of an elastic nature; the elastic properties being incorporated into the top either by laying in or knitting an elastic yarn therein. The present invention proposes to follow this trend, by providing a highly improved elastic top, as above indicated.

Entirely aside from the aspect of elasticity of the top of a hosiery product the problem of providing a selvage edge for the top has long been present in the manufacture of hose, and has received the attention of numerous developers and research workers in this field. For a long time it was believed impractical to manufacture a socalled single top hose, because of the inability to provide a selvage edge which would be free from undesirable curling and at the same time also be fre of any hem, sewing or loose threads, and because of this condition it has in the past been the practice to manufacture hosiery products with the double top; that is the material of the top is folded back to provide a selvage edge that is defined by the bend of the fold.

Those interested in improving hosiery prodtemplates the knitting of a plurality of courses of rubber yarn prior to the knitting of any of the regular yarn. After two or more courses needles of the knitting machine, the regular yarn is brought in and is knit with the elastic yarn on certain of the needles. Thusa selvage edge that is characteristically entirely of elastic yarn is provided, and this edge has the desired noncurling properties, and at the same time insures against unraveling, loose threads, need for a hem or sewing and other undesirable features.

.Various detailed objects and advantages of the invention are associated with the knitting of hosiery products in accordance with the above noted objectives on the knitting machines now available to the manufacturer. Thesewill in partbecome apparent, and in part be hereinafter stated, as the description of the invention proceeds.

The invention, therefore, comprises a hosiery product including a singletop having a selvage edge that is defined by a plurality of courses made solely from an elastic yarn. The regular yarn for the single top is knit in with the elastic yarn, subsequent to the formation of the elastic edge.

ucts recognized the advantages to be gained by providing hose with a single top, and accordingly certain developments were made which resulted in the manufacture of single top hose, but in view of the difliculties experienced with the selvage edge it has generally been necessary to provide a plurality of waste courses in the knitting of the single top which are later unraveled and discarded.

With the advent of the elastic top for hosiery, which is a more or less modern development, the

problem of incorporating an elastic yarn into the top, and at the same time provide a non-curling selvage edge which will meet with the approval of the purchasing public arises, and the primary object of this invention is the attainment of this objective.

The invention has in view as a further objective the provision of a hosiery product including an elastic top of the so-called single top type, and which elastic top has an elastic yarn knit as including a selvage edge that is free from curling, smooth, formed without any sewing at the edge, and which is free from loose threads In providing a selvage edge in accordance For a full and more complete understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, wherein Figure l is a side view of the upper portion of a hosiery product made in accordancewith the precepts of this invention,

Figure 2 is 'an enlarged detailed view somewhat diagrammatic, bringing out the stitch structure of the' selvage edge,

Referring now to the drawingf wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts,

a hosiery product is shown in Figure 1 as including atop portion C which is of the single thickness formation above referred to. This top portion C, at its upper end, is formed with a selvage 5 edge E in a manner to be hereinafter described.

, invention is not concerned particularly with the therein, and which is particularly characterized formation of the body structure of the top C,

but deals solely with the formation of the selvage edge E.

In knitting the top C with the selvage edge E any plain knit circular knitting machine of with the above noted precepts the invention conthe seamless type may be employed, and among those which are known to the manufacturers and which may be employed for this purpose are the machines of Hemphill, Scott I: Williams,

on the first course; that is ,the elastic yarn will, only be taken in and held down by the first needle therein, after which three needles are skipped beiore the next needle takes the elastic yarn down. The course which is formed on the needles in this manner is identified as Cl.

The second course is also formed solely from the elastic yarn l2, and is-identified as C2. In

this course the elastic yarn is taken in on every other needle; with loops being formed on the needles represented by the lines I and I 3. It is evident from the foregoing that the courses Cl and C2 are formed solely from the elastic yarn.

The third course, which is identified as C3, is made up of both the elastic yarn l2 and the regular yarn H. The elastic yarn I2 is knit in as in the-first course; that is only on the needles represented by the lines numbered I. However, the regular yarn is taken in on every needle, with loops in the elastic yarn It being formed on each of the needles represented by the line I.

After the third course Ca, the remainder of the body portion of the top C may be knit in any known manner which will be effective to incorporate the elastic yarn thereinto.

The effect of the two courses Cl and C: which are made solely from the elastic yarn, together with the course C: which is formed by elastic yam l2 and body yarn H, and which courses define the seivage edge, is to provide a selv age edge that is not formed by any hem or sewing, is smooth and which is entirely free from any undesirable curling efiects; this being an extremely important item in the salability o! the hosiery products.

This non-curling feature assumes particular importance in hosiery having elastic tops, as it is important that the top properly grip the .leg of the wearer to provide the desired supporting efiects. When the edge has an undesirable curl it obviously will not grip the leg to perform the desired supporting functions.

While a preferred specific embodiment of the invention is hereinbeforo set forth it is to be clearly understood that I am not to be limited to the exact constructions illustrated anddescribed, because various modifications of these details may be provided in putting the invention into practice within the.purview of the ap nded claims.

I claim:

1. Ina hosiery product, an elastic top including a seivage edge that is defined by a course of an elastic yarn having stitches formed at spaced intervals, and a second course of the elastic yarn having stitches formed at spaced intervals that are substantially one-half the spaced intervals between the stitches in the first course, the remainder of said cuff comprising .a' plurality of courses, in each of which cerdefined by two courses of the elastic yarn alone;

7 said cuff below said seivage edge comprising successive courses in which the regular yarn on certain stitches is alone, certain other stitches in each of said successive courses being defined by both said regular and said elastic yarn.

3. In a hosiery product, an elastic top comprising a body portion made from a regular yarn and an elastic yarn, and a seivage edge defined by a course of the elastic yarn having stitches formed at spaced intervals, a second course of the elastic yarn having stitches formed at spaced intervals with the spacings between the intervals being substantially one-half that of the spacings between the stitches in the first course, and a third course comprising stitches of both the elastic and regular yarns, certain of the stitches being defined by both the regular and elastic yarns with intermediate stitches defined solely by the regular yam.

4. Ina hosiery product, an elastic cufl 00mprising a body portion made from an inelastic and an elastic yarn, said cui! having a seivage edge defined by a course of elastic yarn hav- 

